Teachers and High School Student Program (TAHSS)

The Teachers and High School Student Program was founded in the fall of 1989 with the goals of exposing interested high school students of varied backgrounds to health care and related professions, and providing support in their academic and personal development.

The TAHSS Program has undergone a number of changes since its inception twenty years ago. TUSM created the Minority High School Tutorial PLUS Program to provide local minority/disadvantaged students with medical student tutors. Additionally, in 1989, TUSM received a grant from the National Institutes of Health [NIH] to start the Minority High School Research Apprenticeships Program. This program was launched to offer research experiences to local disadvantaged students during the summer. The TAHSS is an expansion of both programs. The final change came in 1999 when TAHSS was a combined initiative of Tufts University School of Medicine and a grant from NIH through the National Center for Resources Minority Initiative: K-12 Teachers and High School Students. Today, the TAHSS continues as a community outreach program in Boston and the surrounding areas. We are supported by our Dean's Office to reach high school students who have an interest in pursuing research and health careers.

The high school students spend seven weeks up to 25 hours per week in various clinical and bench research positions and classes on the Boston Health Sciences Campus. Our high school students' experiences are throughout our Health Sciences Campus in the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nutrition, the Sackler School of Biomedical Research and the Tufts Medical Center.

The Program not only provides a research experience but also exposure to medical students as mentor role models and faculty, health career opportunities, course in Gross Anatomy and Laboratory, the latest in research technology as well as presenting their findings at the end of the seven-week experience. Students will have projects that include drawing, painting, creating t-shirts and newsletter. Another very important component of TAHSS is the inclusion of the parents' participation in Parent's Evening. The evening gives our parents the opportunity to meet mentors, medical students sharing their career choices and pathways to medicine and research, visit labs before the high school students' Award Ceremony.

The mentoring and support does not stop in the summer for our youths. They are informed of conferences, in the health field, other program opportunities and financial aid and college information. Mentors write recommendations for colleges. Our students have lifelong connections with each other and mentors.

TAHSS Program Application and Instructions

Deadlines

• Completed Application Deadline: Friday, March 13th, 2009 [with supporting materials]

• Orientation Date: Monday, June 29th, 2009

• Position Start Date: Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 and end Friday, August 14, 2009

• Salary: Students may earn up to $1,200.00

• Interviews: Students are granted interviews by invitation only.
  Students are given three interviews. There are no weekend interviews.

• No housing accomodations are provided.

Contact

Mrs. Colleen Romain
Director for Student Programs & Minority Affairs
Tufts University School of Medicine
136 Harrison Avenue, Box 75
Boston, MA 02111
617/636-6576